The correct application of fertilizer is essential to increase the crop field yield, at the same time, reduces costs and environmental impacts.
The agricultural technologies for Precision Agriculture perform a crucial role in this context, providing tools that reduce the usage of fertilizer and ensure a more sustainable management of the soil and plants.
In this article, you’ll see six hints on how technology in agriculture may generate economy immediately and in a long term.
How can agricultural technology help to reduce input costs?
Precision Agriculture uses advance technology to manage, monitor, and manage the crop growing, allowing that the decisions are based on specific data of each farm area.
By means of the equipment installed on the machines, such as sensors and software to collect soil data, the plants and weather, the farmers can perform the required adjustments in the right time, without jeopardizing the crop and with the required flexibility for operations. See some examples:
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Definition of the exact application place
The agricultural technology helps to identify crop field areas that don’t need so much fertilizer, indicating the places where the product application is really needed to ensure quality grain production.
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Indication of the most recommended metering
The Precision Agriculture tools indicate the metering of fertilizers and other inputs according to the exact need of each section of the field, avoiding waste and undesirable costs.
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Monitoring after application
The on-board technologies on the agricultural machine also help to monitor the nutrition of plants after application to make sure they receive the nutrients they need, especially nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
In addition, they help you see the plant development issues and the need to apply fertilizer to avoid pests, diseases, and weeds. The technological tools can also help to prevent the excessive application of fertilizers.
Crucial hints to save the fertilizer application.
One of the greatest advantages is investing in agricultural machines is the optimization of the processes and agricultural management. Regarding the fertilizer usage, the economy is required not only because of the price, but because it highly depends on the foreign inputs. Check out six hints to reduce the usage and costs with fertilizers:
1. Variable rate application
The Stara agricultural machines, such as the Hércules 6.0 self-propelled spreader and the Imperador 3.0 self-propelled sprayer allow you to adjust the fertilizer amount according to the specific needs of each area.
Using this type of technology can result in the reduction of up to 2.5% in fertilizer usage, optimizing the resources and increasing yields.
2. Boost the prescription maps usage
Detailed analysis of the soil helps you identify where the fertilizer is more required, ensuring that the nutrients are applied strategically.
This a very important stage for soil preparation, which can be boosted with a fertilizer spreader.
Along with the prescription map, in this growing process, you can use the data of the sensors that monitor the soil humidity, pH, and the nutrients presence.
3. Avoid application overlap
Choose some equipment that adapts to your application needs and to your farm size. The Twin Feedgate System with Product Flow Divider of the Hércules 6.0 fertilizer spreader, for example, reduces overlap as it allows you to close one side of the hopper, avoiding the application on areas that have already been applied, which generates additional economy of fertilizer.
Additionally, the hydraulic pump adjusts the oil flow and pressure according to the operation need, improving the efficiency and reducing the power consumption.
Other technology that avoids application overlap is the Nozzle-by-Nozzle Control System of the Stara self-propelled sprayer. The resource automatically turns off the spray nozzles in areas that have already been treated, saving up to 5% in product usage.
4. Real-time monitoring
Services such as Telemetria Stara allow you to adjust the operations of all the farm during operations, ensuring fertilizer application efficiency and other inputs.
On Stara agricultural machines, the information can be accessed directly from the machine cab by means of the Topper 5500 agricultural controller.
5. Using the rotation of crop plants
The rotation of crops is an agricultural practice that consists of planting different crops in the same field in different years. It may help to improve the soil health, reducing the diseases and weeds, as the fertilizer needs.
6. Invest in long term yield
Applying fertilizer using the Precision Agriculture techniques reduces the lixiviation of nutrients for the groundwater, minimizing the environment impact. This is essential to keep the soil fertile and adding value to the farm, ensuring profit for the families in a long term and ensuring food.
In general, it’s important to see that the agricultural technology not only reduces costs, but also upgrades the agricultural management, resulting in more uniform and productive crops, and making the Brazilian agribusiness stronger.
Precision Agriculture at Stara: application of fertilizers
Stara is a pioneer in developing agricultural machines that combine high technology and operating efficiency. When it comes to applying fertilizers in grain crops, two products stand out: the self-propelled spreader Hércules 6.0 and the self-propelled sprayer Imperador 3.0.
Both are self-propelled machines. In other words, agricultural machines that don’t need to be drawn by tractors as they have the same traction and propulsion system.
Regarding spreading processes, the major difference between a self-propelled spreader and a self-propelled sprayer is in the type of fertilizer applied and the application technique.
The self-propelled spreader is more suitable for solid fertilizer application, while the self-propelled sprayer is perfect for liquid fertilizers and agricultural chemicals. See the main differences between the Stara machines:
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Hércules 6.0 Self-Propelled Spreader
Hércules 6.0 is an agricultural spreader engineered to deliver precision and uniformity in fertilizer application. It features:
- A hopper with a capacity of 6,000 kg: High capacity for more autonomy in the field.
- Variable rate: By means of Topper 5500 controller, you can apply agricultural inputs precisely, using prescription maps.
- Twin Feedgate with a product flow divider: It avoids applications in areas that have already been applied, creating savings up 2.58% in fertilizer.
- The spreading width is up to 36 meters: Ensuring efficiency in wide areas.
2. Imperador 3.0 Self-Propelled Sprayer
The Imperador 3.0 self-propelled sprayer is known as the only 3 in 1 self-propelled machine in the world, combining spraying, spreading and pneumatic seeding processes. The main remarkable features include:
- Variable Rate System: Precise fertilizer applications according to prescription maps, avoiding waste.
- Central boom system: More stability during applications, ensuring uniformity and efficiency.
- Chemical solution tank: The chemical solution tank has a capacity of 2,400 litres with an exclusive design that works as a wave breaker.
- Seed and fertiliser hopper: The stainless steel hopper is resistant to corrosion and has a capacity of 2,700 litres.
- Nozzle-by-Nozzle Control System Technology: Avoiding overlaps and ensuring savings up to 5% in agricultural chemicals.
- Ponte Verde System: Delivering cover seeding with high precision and operating yield.
Explore the Stara sprayers line
Summary
In this article, you saw six hints to save in fertilizer application with agricultural machines for Precision Agriculture. The combination of the pieces of equipment and resources, in addition to the best practice and management, allows the farmer to reduce operating costs, to invest in sustainable techniques, boosting yield and the profit in this harvest and in long term.
Did you like the hints and want to find out the agricultural machine that best suits your crop field?
Stop by a Stara dealer and find the most suitable equipment to boost your crop production.
